Improvement in instruments for administering balls to horses



J. MIDDLEDITUH. Instruments for Administering Balls to Horses.

'No.199,849. Patented Jan. 29,1878.

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} UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MIDDLEDITOH, WEST CHESTER, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN INSTRUMENTS FOR ADMINISTERING BALLS T0 HORSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,849, dated January 29, 1878 application filed May 12, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MIDDLEDITGH, of West Chester, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Device for Administering Balls of Physic, &c., to Horses; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making part of this Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my implement, and Fig. 2 a horizontal section of same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in both figures.

The well-known trouble existing in administering balls of physio to horses is sought to be obviated by this invention.

To that end I construct an instrument consisting of a barrel, A, more or less tapering in shape, with a bulb, B, formed at the base of the barrel, and a handle, 0, extending from its rear side. Into the handle 0, at its sides, is formed a slot, to, extending in the direction of the length of the handle, and to the upper side of the handle is fixed a spring, I), the free end 0 of which projects through a slot, d, in the handle, and terminates in a hook, 6. Into the barrel A is inserted a plunger, f, with a stem, g, secured to it, and passing through the barrel and through a small channel, h, (which is in continuation of the barrel,) backward to the slot d, where the stem terminates in a ring or similar device, 1 Into the barrel A, and between the under side of the piston f and the inner end of the barrel, is fitted a coiled spring, j.

Now, my implement being constructed substantially as I have described it, it is operated by drawing the ring i back through the slot ,a, pressing down the spring b until the hooked end thereof shall be forced downward below the surface of the slot c, until the ring 'i has been drawn sufficiently far back to permit the hooked end eto pass up and through the ring, and in this position the piston f is withdrawn within the barrel, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the spiral spring j is condensed. The ball to be administered to the horse is then inserted in the barrel and against the piston. The barrel is then thrust into the horses mouth, the bulb B acting as a guard for the hands of the operator, and also as a gag, if desired, to keep the jaws open, the barrel within the mouth extending over, and about to the root of, the tongue of the horse, when the spring I) is pressed downward, which releases the ring c, the reaction of the spring j forcing the piston outward and ejecting the ball from the barrel down the throat of the horse, so that he is forced to swallow it.

From the construction of this implement, it is seen that a ball may be administered to a horse without danger to the operator and with the certainty that the horse will swallow it.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- An instrument for administering balls of physio, &c., to horses, constructed with a conical barrel, A, piston f, spiral spring j, bulb B, slot at in the handle 0, and combined retaining and releasing catch 1) e g 13, substantially as and for the purpose described.

J OHN MIDDLEDITGH.

Witnesses H. L. WATTENBERG, G. M. PLYMrTo 

